Designs by Nature

Sheila Martin knew she had a soft spot for rocks, so when she was laid off from her job with a patent attorney, she wasn't worried about having no job and no income. It wasn't long before she and her husband, Gary, opened a rock shop, Designs by Nature in San Clemente.

“We had all these boxes on shelves in the garage, just full of things we had found,” Martin said. “We just started putting it all in the store.”

Martin, originally from northern New England, remembers camping with her family, a hobby she continued after moving west, where she met Gary.

Gary Martin, originally from Colorado, spent much of his time growing up in the outdoors, where his interest in natural formations and geology began.

Soon, Sheila’s love of camping and hunting melded with Gary's rock hunting, and they were married.

“It's a thrill, because you never know what you are going to find,” Sheila said. “We've been all over the United States looking for rocks. It's like a treasure hunt, looking for clues and digging around. We've been out for a couple of weeks at a time.”

Sheila attended Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, taking field geology classes. She remembers the fun of weekend trips with classmates to the Sierra Nevada and other places. ” I learned a lot, but the instructors always said I asked too many questions.”

Designs by Nature opened in 1993 and has been at its current location on South El Camino Real for 10 years.

Walking through the store is a lesson in natural history. There are crystals and rocks that were formed as Earth began. Many items look like movie props – a chunk of shiny metal from Peru that looks like it could be a melted engine part; crystals the size of a peanut butter jar; fossilized fish, crawdads, ferns and grasshoppers; a large polished black stone featuring a prehistoric mollusk.

“Every day someone comes in with something they found somewhere or their grandfather did,” Sheila said. “It's not often that it's something I have not seen, but you never know. People have brought in meteorites before.”

Among the natural gemstones, crystals, minerals, fossils and corals are things made by artisans. Jade, amethyst, marble, granite, pyrite and more have been made into rings, pendants and earrings – even skulls, crosses, pentagons and animals such as elephants, bears, ostriches, penguins, sea gulls, monkeys, pandas, cats, dogs, frogs and rhinos.

“A rock isn't just a rock,” Sheila said. “There is more to life than just plastic!”

Q&A WITH CO-OWNER SHEILA MARTIN

Q. What is the best thing about owning your business?

A. The flexibility and the gratification that comes from seeing people coming and finding what they are looking for. People tell me we have a very different and wonderful store. We are a different world. I think, too, I like educating people. We have to respect and care for the Earth.

Q. What is the most challenging aspect?

A. The biggest challenge here for me, and it is a big challenge, is doing the twice-yearly clean when we get ready for our artist preview shows. I am dusting everything, all the cases inside and out, and it's a lot to do. I am always polishing silver, too; it's a constant job.

Q. What advice do you have for anyone opening a business?

A. Be prepared for the unexpected. Things don't always go according to plan.

Sheila Martin's San Clemente store, Designs by Nature, sells rare and unique rocks and gemstones, fossils, geodes, crystals, and handcrafted jewelry and figurines. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
These stones and gems at Designs by Nature are fashioned to resemble skulls. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
Sphere- and egg-shaped stones and gems at Designs by Nature in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
Stones at Designs by Nature "bear" a different look. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
Art stones put penguins on the march at Designs by Nature. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
A prehistoric shark tooth is part of the inventory at Designs by Nature in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
A fish fossil is revealed in stone at Designs by Nature. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER
Designs by Nature in San Clemente displays a replica Tyrannosaurus rex skull. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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